Brew

Chapter 1 Shop

As the light green shades lift, the sun lights up a small coffee shop. The deep brown wooden floor is cleaned and waxed and the matching tables a few booths have sugar and napkins gently placed on them. 

Behind the glass are display trays, not filled yet with their tarts, pastries and muffins, and famous beignets. 

The shop is owned by Tiana Naven, an expert in pastry. She walks from the back kitchen and switches on multiple brewing machines, and begins to open the coffee shop by six am. 

"You're late.." Tiana lectures as her barista Ruby Lucas walks through the door with a few minutes to spare before morning patrons flood in for their morning brew. 

"I know, it was a night," Ruby admits. "One of those? Or the other kind?" Tiana raises a brow. "Both," Ruby grinned playfully. 

The morning rush begins around seven am until nine, and as things settle down the aroma of coffee beans and brewed lattes fills the establishment. 

The doughy sugary treats filled with jams, or other delights fill the trays, and the bell to the door rings. "Well there she is, we thought you drowned in the research," Ruby comments as a brunette familiar friend enters. 

Her features are strong, with a curve on her red lips up one side of her face. Her neatly tousled hair hits her shoulders of her fairly primped suit look. 

"So have everything you need?" Tiana comments over the counter blowing a kiss. "I think so, now just have to piece it all together, and could use my latte," the brunette comments. 

"So Regina, when do any of us get to read this one?" Ruby asks. "When it's finished and I'm satisfied," Regina reveals. "So.. never?" Tiana teases. "I let you read things when I'm satisfied, or they are published and you get to just get them whether I want you to or not," Regina mused.

Sitting at her usual spot, Regina Mills, sits gracefully, pulling out her laptop. Tiana comes along with her usual order of her drink, and places it next to her. 

Regina reaches into her pocket, pulling out some black framed glasses. Placing them on her face, her machine lights up and her fingers begin typing. 

A writer with four published works, Regina Mills was twenty nine and made her living off what she wrote. She was fortunate in life and lived in a nice studio not far from her favorite coffee shop.

Coming there roughly four years now, she was close with Tiana and Ruby, but her romantic life was indeed lacking. 

"So, you never called him back?" Ruby commented bringing Regina a breakfast pastry. Regina sighs, and fights an eye roll, as Ruby pulls the plate a little from her reach. 

"He literally looked he just threw clothes on from a wrinkled dryer." Regina scoffs. "So his clothes had to be ironed?" Ruby asks.

"He had a stretched out normal hanes tee that had wrinkles all over it, and pants that had some questionable stains on them," Regina glared. "Okay, what about his personality?" Ruby asks.

"I was more mature than him when I was five," Regina blinked. "Okay," Ruby places the plate down. "Just, I don't need you to fix me up," Regina shrugged. "Not that I don't appreciate it," she adds.

"Well what kind of guy are we looking for?" Ruby asks. "Well, I mean I would like him to be a bit classy and maybe a little smart assy and at least knows how to dress," Regina said. 

"I'd also like him to have at least an IQ of 100, and only behaves like a five year old when it's endearing," Regina said.

"Does that even exist?" Ruby mused. "I don't know but maybe I will get lucky at some point and find it," Regina smiles removing her glasses. 

Taking her small cloth out, she circles it around the lenses, and clumsily slips them from her hand. 

"Oh, dammit," she growls to herself as the frames land next to feet. Brown suede shoes with some dark denim, folded over the top, direct Regina's eyes as she grasps her frames. 

As she moves herself upward she gazes, unintentionally of course, at the extremely attractive posterior of the man in these pants. As she sits back up straight, she sees his body start to turn. 

His sleeves are rolled up, a classic button up, which is the perfect shade of blue to bring out his extremely blue eyes. The facial hair of this gentleman is roguish, neat, and a deep red. The rest of his hair is dark, black like Regina's, and perfectly shaped, with a clear shine to it. 

He's biting his lip, and his brows dance up. 

Regina realizes she's gaping at this man, as she holds her glasses. "Hello, sorry, I just.. dropped my glasses at your.. feet." She stammers a bit. 

"Oh that's alright," His voice, a smooth accent, British. She notices he's holding a laptop bag, "I drop mine all the time," he adds. 

"Americano!" Ruby calls out, and the man lifts his hand to gather the cup. Regina watches him and catches Tiana's eye over the opposite counter. 

Regina widens her eyes at Tiana, and mouths 'Who is that?' 

Tiana shrugs, "So how are the beignets?" the man asks. "Oh they're the best in the city," Tiana jumps in and makes eye contact with the man. "Well I've come in here a couple days now and I think it's time I tried one," He says. 

Regina stares at Ruby, "Days?" she whispers. 

"Thank you," the man takes his pastry and heads to a table in the opposite direction. 

Sitting down, he opens his own laptop, and takes out his own glasses that are definitely a sharp look on his sharp featured face. 

Regina tugs Tiana to the side, "Who is that?" She asks quietly. "Just a guy who's been coming here a few days, while you were buried in the library," Tiana said. 

"Well he seems to be writing.. and ..." Regina sighs. "Oh I see, I should have guessed, he's definitely your type," Tiana said. 

"He's British," Regina says. "Yes, I did recognize the accent," Tiana mocked. "Okay," Regina rolls her eyes. 

"Uhh, excuse me," The man surprises her to her left. "Uhh Yes?" She stutters again, "Sorry I just know you have glasses and I forgot that little cloth cleaner for mine," He said. 

"Oh.. umm sure.. I... yeah," Regina stammers reaching to her table for her cloth. Handing it to him, she stares at his hands, strong, big, and yet gentle the way he cleans the lenses. 

"Can't very well complete a book if I can't see the words." He comments. 

"You're a writer?" Regina asks. "I am," He admits. "Well look at that, Regina here is a writer too," Tiana winks and heads off.

"Well, nice to meet you, I'm Killian Jones.." He smiles. A million dollar smile if you asked Regina.

"I... have actually read your books, Oh my .. god..." Regina stumbles over her own words. 

"Well.. is.. your last name Mills?" He asks. "It is," She nods. "Well I've read yours too," He smiled. 

Regina's POV

Oh boy....

I'll wrap "Untold" by tomorrow and then we can move forward here with these BREWING babies... 

STAY SAFE EVERYONE - CaptRegina